Illness aftercare
Category:Articles requested for translation These aftercare sheets are intended to be translated into Spanish and handed to patients after a consultation by health workers in LHOP (The Latino Health Outreach Project). LHOP is a migrant worker mobile clinic associated with Common Ground Health Clinic in New Orleans. Stuffy and runny noses A stuffy or runny nose can result from a cold or allergy. A lot of mucus in the nose may cause sinus problems like infection. To help clear a stuffy nose, do the following: *Lean your head back and put drops of salt water into your nose. This helps to loosen the mucus. **If you do not have a dropper bottle, put a little salt water into your hand and sniff it into the nose. *'Breathing hot water vapor helps clear a stuffy nose'. You can add Lemon in the water, or opening herbs/oils such as Eucalyptus, Rosemary, or Mint. CAUTION: Do not use Eucalyptus if you have asthma. Wipe a runny or stuffy nose, but try not to blow it. Blowing the nose may lead to earache and sinus infections. Persons who often get earaches or sinus trouble after a cold can help prevent these problems by using decongestant nasal spray. Use the nasal spray after putting a little salt water in your nose. CAUTION: Use decongestant spray no more than 3 times a day, for no more than 3 days. *A decongestant syrup (like DaQuil or Nyquil) may also help. You may get better quicker if you do not eat dairy products like milk and cheese until you have fully recovered. See a doctor if: *You do not improve after 2 weeks *You get worse after taking your meds or herbs *You get a fever, chills, or shakes *You are short of breath Always follow up with your health care provider. This informational sheet is no substitute for the treatment and advice of a qualified health care professional. Sore throat Sore throat is often part of a cold. *No special medicine is needed, but it may help to gargle with warm water. **It is even more helpful to gargle with a pinch of salt or baking soda in a cup of hot water two to six times a day. *Drink hot teas with a small pinch of cayenne, lots of honey and lemon juice. *Take any medicine for pain your health worker gives you, or you can take 1-2 Tylenol tablets every 6 hours. *Suck on cough drops. CAUTION: if the sore throat begins suddenly, with high fever, it could be a strep throat. Special treatment is needed from a doctor. Always follow up with your health care provider. This informational sheet is no substitute for the treatment and advice of a qualified health care professional. Cough Coughing is the body’s way of cleaning the breathing system and getting rid of phlegm (mucus with pus) and germs in the throat or lungs. So when a cough produces phlegm, do not take medicine to stop the cough, but rather do something to help loosen and bring up the phlegm. Treatment for cough: #'To loosen mucus' and ease any kind of cough, drink lots of water. This works better than any medicine. #Also breathe hot water vapors. Sit on a chair with a bucket of very hot water at your feet. Place a sheet over the bucket to catch the vapors as they rise. Breathe the vapors deeply for 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day. Some people like to add mint or eucalyptus leaves or Vaporub, but hot water works just as well alone. CAUTION: Do not use eucalyptus or Vaporub if you have asthma. They make it worse. ##A different way to loosen mucus: soak your feet in hot water for 15 min twice a day. #'For all kinds of cough', especially a dry cough, the following cough syrup can be given: Mix 1 part honey, 1 part lemon juice. Take a teaspoonful every 2 or 3 hours. You could make a less effective syrup with sugar instead of honey. #Suck on cough drops. #'For a severe dry cough that does not let you sleep', you can take a syrup with Dextromethorphan (In cold meds that say "cough suppressant"). If there is a lot of phlegm or wheezing, do not use dextromethorphan. #One Benadryl (Diphenhydramine 25 mg) every four hours can help stuffiness and itching, and is a mild cough suppressant #'If you have any kind of a cough, do not smoke'. Smoking damages the lungs. :*To prevent a cough, do not smoke. :*To cure a cough, treat the illness that causes it—and do not smoke. :*To calm a cough, and loosen phlegm, drink lots of water—and do not smoke. See a doctor if: *Your cough gets worse after 1 week *You cough up blood, pus, or smelly phlegm *You are losing weight *You are wheezing or short of breath Always follow up with your health care provider. This informational sheet is no substitute for the treatment and advice of a qualified health care professional. Colds and the flu Colds and the flu are common infections that may cause runny nose, cough, sore throat, and sometimes fever or pain in the joints. They usually begin with a scratchy or sore throat and tiredness, but no fever, chills or shakes. Colds and the flu almost always go away within 1-2 weeks without medicine. Most people do not need antibiotics and do not need the flu shot. Drink plenty of water and get enough rest. *Aspirin or acetaminophen help lower fever and relieve body aches and headaches. More expensive ‘cold tablets’ are no better than aspirin. So why waste your money? *No special diet is needed. However, fruit juices, especially orange juice or lemonade, are helpful. *High doses of vitamin C, 3000-5000 mg a day, are also helpful. Prevention of colds: *'Getting enough sleep and eating well helps prevent colds'. Eating papayas, bell peppers, oranges, and other fruit containing vitamin C may also help. *Colds do not come from getting cold or wet (although getting very cold, wet, or tired can make a cold worse). A cold is ‘caught’ from others who have the infection and cough or sneeze the virus into the air. *To keep from giving the cold to others, the sick person should eat and sleep separately. *You should cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands many times throughout the day. *To prevent a cold from leading to earache, try not to blow your nose—just wipe it. Teach children to do the same. See a doctor if: *Your cold or flu lasts more than a week and is getting worse *You get a fever, chills or shakes *You cough up a lot of green phlegm (mucus with pus) *You have bad pain in the throat, sinuses, or ears *You have shallow fast breathing or chest pain These problems are more dangerous if you have lung or heart problems or cannot move much. Follow up with your health care provider. This informational sheet is no substitute for the treatment and advice of a qualified health care professional. Runny nose with itchy eyes (Allergic rhinitis) Runny nose and itchy eyes can be caused by an allergic reaction to something in the air that a person has breathed in. It is often worse at certain times of year. #You can take one Loratadine (Claritin 10 mg) every day. #'You can put cold compresses on itchy eyes'. You can use ice wrapped in a towel or even a towel soaked with cold water. You also can make Lipton tea, and put tea bag on the eye. #You can take one Benadryl (Diphenhydramine 25 mg) at night. Benadryl can make you drowsy. #You can put eye allergy drops in your eyes. #Find out what things cause this reaction (for example: dust, pollen, mold) and try to avoid them. If you have to work with something you are allergic to, protect yourself from breathing it in with a respirator. See a doctor if: *There is pus in your eye *You do not improve in 2 days *Your vision stays blurry *You have pain that increases *You are wheezing or short of breath Always follow up with your health care provider. Allergic reactions An allergy is a disturbance or reaction that affects only certain persons when things they are sensitive or allergic to are . . . *breathed in *eaten *injected *or touch the skin Anybody could be allergic to anything, but common allergens include: *Tree pollen, grass pollen, weed pollen *Mold *Dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander Allergic reactions, which can be mild or very serious, include: *itching rashes, lumpy patches or hives *runny nose and itching or burning eyes *irritation in the throat, difficulty breathing, or asthma *allergic shock An allergy is not an infection and cannot be passed from one person to another. However, children of allergic parents also tend to have allergies. This informational sheet is no substitute for the treatment and advice of a qualified health care professional. Notes Health information from: *Where there is no Doctor *Ellyn Strecker, MD *Katya Chizhayeva, clinical herbalist *Lupe Manriquez, physiologist *Home Treatment for cough *Concierge Telemedicine Can Improve The State Of Healthcare by Richard Kimball, Jr. Review process: #Review by the LHOP medical/intake team (Ellyn Strecker, MD, Jennifer, Gina, Eve, Ravi Vadlamudi, MD, Ann Mulle, FNP) currently in process #Review by the LHOP herbal team (Katya Chizhayeva, Rachel Reeves) currently in process #'Field test' pending #'Peer review' pending Still need to write aftercare sheets for: | Upper stomach pain (Epigastric pain) | Ulcer | Athlete's foot (Fungal infection) | Back and leg pain | Tooth ache | Mouth sores | Cuts and scrapes